Saturday, May 27, 2023

[Entomology • 2023] Eurhaphidophora apicoexcisa • Review of the Genus Eurhaphidophora Gorochov, 1999 (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Rhaphidophoridae) from Thailand, with Description of A New Species


Eurhaphidophora apicoexcisa
 Dawwrueng, Gorochov, Pinkaew & Vitheepradit, 2023

จิ้งโกร่งถ้ำท้ายยื่นปลายแหว่ง || DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5278.2.7

Abstract
Thai rhaphidophorid species of the genus Eurhaphidophora Gorochov 1999 are reviewed. Previously, two species and one subspecies (E. bispina Gorochov 2010; E. pawangkhananti Dawwrueng, Gorochov & Suwannapoom 2020; E. tarasovi doitungensis Dawwrueng, Gorochov & Suwannapoom 2020) were reported from Thailand. In this study, a new additional species (Eurhaphidophora apicoexcisa sp. nov.) from Ratchaburi Province is described. Males of this new large-sized species are easily recognized from other males of Eurhaphidophora by an almost straight and lamellar posteromedian process of the ninth abdominal tergite, the presence of a small but rather deep and rounded apical excision on this process, and a long apical part of the epiproct. Females of the new species also can be distinguished from other Thailand congeners by the presence of a small rounded posteromedian projection on the both eighth and ninth abdominal tergites, and a shortly triangular subgenital plate. An updated species catalogue of all known species and taxonomic keys to Thailand Eurhaphidophora species for males and females are provided.

Keywords: Orthoptera, rhaphidophorids, Indochina, new species, taxonomy


 
Eurhaphidophora apicoexcisa sp. nov.




Pattarawich Dawwrueng, Andrei V. Gorochov, Nantasak Pinkaew, Akekawat Vitheepradit. 2023. Review of the Genus Eurhaphidophora Gorochov, 1999 (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Rhaphidophoridae) from Thailand, with Description of A New Species.  Zootaxa. 5278(2); 351-362. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5278.2.7
#RabbitintheMoonFoundation #TENASSERIM #Orthoptera #insect #SuanPhueng

   

Friday, May 26, 2023

[Herpetology • 2023] Strophurus spinula • A New Species of Spiny-tailed Gecko (Squamata: Diplodactylidae: Strophurus) from the Mulga Woodlands of inland Western Australia


Strophurus spinula
Sadlier, Beatson, Brennan & Bauer, 2023


ABSTRACT 
 A new species of spiny-tailed gecko, Strophurus spinula sp. nov., is described from inland areas of southern Western Australia. Among its diagnostic features are a discontinuous mostly straight row of enlarged tubercles down either side of the body, and the caudal spines of the tail are uniformly coloured with the largest lateral spines aligned to form a laterodorsal row on either side of the tail. In these characteristics it is most similar in morphology to Strophurus assimilis, and to a lesser extent S. intermedius. Genetic information shows it is most closely related to a group of species that includes S. intermedius, S. spinigerus and S. rankini. Strophurus spinula sp. nov. is found largely within the southern mulga woodlands region of Western Australia, and at the southern margins of its range is parapatric with respect to S. assimilis.




 Strophurus spinula sp. nov.
Lesser Thorn-tailed Gecko

DIAGNOSIS:
Strophurus spinula sp. nov. can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: a relatively straight and discontinuous row of enlarged unicoloured tubercles along the dorsolateral margin of the body; tail with a single row of enlarged unicoloured spines on either side of the original tail, progressively decreasing in size towards the distal part of the tail; scales in a transverse line across the tail between longitudinal rows of enlarged caudal spines scales 2–3 in number at mid-tail and larger than surrounding tail scales.
....

ETYMOLOGY: The species name ‘spinula’ is the Latin for ‘little thorn’ in reference to the comparatively small size of the tail spines, a feature which distinguishes it from regionally parapatric Strophurus assimilis which has more pronounced spines on the tail and bears the common name the ‘Thorn-tailed Gecko’. The specifc epithet is constructed as a noun in apposition.

Two individuals of Strophurus spinula sp. nov. from Mt Gibson in Western Australia.
 aspects of the whole body and the straight-line and broken arrangement of tubercles along the dorsolateral axis of the body; 
(photos: Anders Zimny & Ray Lloyd).


 Ross A. Sadlier, Cecilie A. Beatson, Ian Brennan and Aaron M. Bauer. 2023. A New Species of Spiny-tailed Gecko (Squamata: Diplodactylidae: Strophurus) from the Mulga Woodlands of inland Western Australia. RECORDS OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 38; 11–26. DOI: 10.18195/issn.0312-3162.38.2023.011-026

[Invertebrate • 2023] Polycirrus aoandon, P. onibi & P. ikeguchii • Investigating the Diversity of Bioluminescent Marine Worm Polycirrus (Annelida), with Description of Three New Species from the Western Pacific


Polycirrus onibi Jimi, P. aoandon Jimi, & P. ikeguchii Jimi,
 
in Jimi, Bessho-Uehara, Nakamura, Sakata, Hayashi, et Ogoh, 2023

Bioluminescence, a phenomenon observed widely in organisms ranging from bacteria to metazoans, has a significant impact on the behaviour and ecology of organisms. Among bioluminescent organisms, Polycirrus, which has unique emission wavelengths, has received attention, and advanced studies such as RNA-Seq have been conducted, but they are limited to a few cases. In addition, accurate species identification is difficult due to lack of taxonomic organization. In this study, we conducted comprehensive taxonomic survey of Japanese Polycirrus based on multiple specimens from different locations and described as three new species: Polycirrus onibi sp. nov., P. ikeguchii sp. nov. and P. aoandon sp. nov. The three species can be distinguished from the known species based on the following characters: (i) arrangement of mid-ventral groove, (ii) arrangement of notochaetigerous segments, (iii) type of neurochaetae uncini, and (iv) arrangement of nephridial papillae. By linking the bioluminescence phenomenon with taxonomic knowledge, we established a foundation for future bioluminescent research development. We also provide a brief phylogenetic tree based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences to discuss the evolution of bioluminescence and the direction of future research.

Keywords: Polycirrus aoandon sp. nov., Polychaeta, Polycirrus onibi sp. nov., Polycirrus ikeguchii sp. nov., terebelliformia, bioluminescence

Polycirrus onibi sp. nov.

 Bioluminescence of Polycirrus spp.
 (a, c) Polycirrus onibi sp. nov.; (b, d) Polycirrus aoandon sp. nov.;
(e) in situ observation of Polycirrus spp. (mixture of P. ikeguchii sp. nov. and P. onibi sp. nov., most of them are P. ikeguchii sp. nov.) at Notojima.

Genus Polycirrus Grube, 1850 
[New Japanese name: Hikari-Fusa-gokai-zoku]

Type-species. Polycirrus medusa Grube, 1850 [13].

Polycirrus onibi Jimi, sp. nov.
[Japanese name: Onibi-fusa-gokai]

Diagnosis. Polycirrus with transparent body wall, tentacles with subterminal red spots, mid-ventral groove from segment 3, notochaetae on segments 3–14, neurochaetae on segment 15 and following segments, type II uncini, nephridial papillae in anterior area of parapodia on segments 3–14.

Etymology. The new species name derives from the Japanese yōkai onibi’. Onibi represents the soul of a deceased human or animal, manifested as a floating blue flame. It is often equated with the Will-o'-the-wisp. The blue–purple bioluminescence is reminiscent of this yōkai.


Polycirrus ikeguchii Jimi, sp. nov.
[Japanese name: Ikeguchi-fusa-gokai]

Diagnosis. Polycirrus with transparent body wall, tentacles with subterminal red spots, mid-ventral groove from segment 2, notochaetae on segments 3–19, neurochaetae on segment 17 and following segments, type II uncini, nephridial papillae in anterior area of parapodia, on segments 3–17.

Etymology. The species is named after Mr Shinichiro Ikeguchi. He is the former deputy director of the Notojima Aquarium, and he contributed to the discovery of the luminescence phenomenon of this species.


Polycirrus aoandon Jimi, sp. nov.
[Japanese name: Aoandon-fusa-gokai]

Diagnosis. Polycirrus with orange body wall, tentacles without subterminal red spots, mid-ventral groove from segment 3, notochaetae on segments 3–56, neurochaetae on segment 16 and following segments, type I uncini, nephridial papillae in anterior area of parapodia on segments 3–14.


Etymology. The new species name derives from the Japanese yōkai Aoandon’. Aoandon carries a blue (= Ao in Japanese) lantern (= andon in Japanese). The blue–purple bioluminescence is reminiscent of this yōkai.

 
Naoto Jimi, Manabu Bessho-Uehara, Koji Nakamura, Masahiko Sakata, Taro Hayashi, Shusei Kanie, Yasuo Mitani, Yoshihiro Ohmiya, Aoi Tsuyuki, Yuzo Ota, Sau Pinn Woo and Katsunori Ogoh. 2023. Investigating the Diversity of Bioluminescent Marine Worm Polycirrus (Annelida), with Description of Three New Species from the Western Pacific. Royal Society Open Science. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230039
 phys.org/news/2023-03-newly-sea-worms-dark-creatures.html
 

[Herpetology • 2023] Hynobius bambusicolus • An Isolated and Deeply Divergent Hynobius Species (Caudata: Hynobiidae) from Fujian, China


Hynobius bambusicolus  Wang, Othman, Qiu & Borzée, 

in Wang, Othman, Qiu, Lu, Prasad, Dong, Lu et Borzée, 2023.
虚竹小鲵  ||  DOI: 10.3390/ani13101661 

Abstract
It is important to describe lineages before they go extinct, as we can only protect what we know. This is especially important in the case of microendemic species likely to be relict populations, such as Hynobius salamanders in southern China. Here, we unexpectedly sampled Hynobius individuals in Fujian province, China, and then worked on determining their taxonomic status. We describe Hynobius bambusicolus sp. nov. based on molecular and morphological data. The lineage is deeply divergent and clusters with the other southern Chinese Hynobius species based on the concatenated mtDNA gene fragments (>1500 bp), being the sister group to H. amjiensis based on the COI gene fragment, despite their geographic distance. In terms of morphology, the species can be identified through discrete characters enabling identification in the field by eye, an unusual convenience in Hynobius species. In addition, we noted some interesting life history traits in the species, such as vocalization and cannibalism. The species is likely to be incredibly rare, over a massively restricted distribution, fitting the definition of Critically Endangered following several lines of criteria and categories of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Keywords: Hynobidae; species description; bamboo forest

Natural habitat and oviposition site for Hynobius bambusicolus sp. nov.
The site is in Quxi village, Liancheng county, People’s Republic of China.

Hynobius bambusicolus sp. nov. Wang, Othman, Qiu and Borzée

Identity, diagnosis, and distribution:  To date, the species is known from its type locality only, Quxi village, Liancheng county (Figure 5). Larvae are typical of Hynobius larvae in shape and color and do not differ from other Hynobius species in the region in their development (Figure 10). The embryos develop in egg sacs (Figure 10A), larvae first swimming freely with balancers (Figure 10B; shown at day 16), then develop non-functional hind limbs (Figure 10C; shown at day 69), which slowly become functional (Figure 10D,E; shown at day 74 and 77), and the gills regress before metamorphosis (Figure 10F; shown at day 84). Juveniles are brown, darkening with age, with a large variation in blue speckles on their dorsum, which disappears as they age (Figure 9). Adults of the species are uniform dark chocolate, with light grey and bluish speckles on the venter (Figure 11). Identification is best assessed based on location, although discrete morphological characters include the combination of 10 or fewer costal grooves with a total length > 180 mm (Figure 6). To facilitate the identification and further study, the OBJ file of this model can be downloaded (Supplementary File S1). The visual representation of the model is provided in Appendix A (Figure A1).

Etymology: The species was first found in Quxi village, Liancheng county, in the west of Fujian province in China. The name H. bambusicolus sp. nov. comes from the habitat of the holotype and the only known habitat type for the species: bamboo forests
The vernacular name of the species, Fujian Bamboo Salamander, reflects the scientific name of the species, as does its Chinese name: 虚竹小鲵 (pronounced: Xū Zhú Xiǎo Ní). This salamander is named after a main character from Jin Yong’s swordsman fiction “The semi gods and semi devils”, with Xuzhu (虚竹) as the main character and where “虚” [xū] means humble, and “竹” [zhú] means bamboo. This character, Xuzhu, was an unknown Shaolin monk, but he inherited the powers of the leader of the Carefree by coincidence and started its legendary journey.
กิมย้ง: แปดเทพอสูรมังกรฟ้า - 天龙八部 - Semi-Gods and Semi-Devils 
(พ.ศ. 2506-2509)

 
 Zhenqi Wang, Siti N. Othman, Zhixin Qiu, Yiqiu Lu, Vishal Kumar Prasad, Yuran Dong, Chang-Hu Lu and Amaël Borzée. 2023. An Isolated and Deeply Divergent Hynobius Species from Fujian, China. Animals. 13(10); 1661. DOI: 10.3390/ani13101661
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salamanders: Distribution, Diversity, and Conservation)
 
New salamander species from Southern China! 中国南方小鲵新种
 
Simple Summary: What does not have a name is difficult to understand and protect. Upon the unexpected discovery of an Hynobius salamander in Fujian province, China, we worked on understanding its relationship with other species and ultimately describing it. Please welcome the Fujian Bamboo Salamander to science, a segregated species based on genetics and morphology. While it is related to other southern mainland Chinese species, it may have diverged earlier and share some similarities with morphology and behavior with the Anji salamander. The Fujian Bamboo Salamander is special as it produces vocalization when under threat. The species is, however, incredibly rare, fitting the definition of Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

[Botany • 2023] Meiogyne arunachalensis (Annonaceae) • A New Species from the Eastern Himalayas of Northeast India


Meiogyne arunachalensis N.V.Page, 

in Page, 2023. 

Abstract
The genus Meiogyne is distributed throughout South and Southeast Asia and includes approximately 33 described taxa. A new species, Meiogyne arunachalensis, is here described from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India. This is the third species from India and the first from the Eastern Himalayan and Northeast Indian region. This species shows morphological similarity with Meiogyne maxiflora, a species distributed in Thailand, but it differs in a number of vegetative and reproductive characters. Meiogyne arunachalensis is the largest species of the genus described so far in terms of tree height and girth of the tree trunk. Detailed colour photographs are provided to highlight its morphological distinctness and facilitate identification in the field.

Keywords: Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas, India, Meiogyne, new species



Reproductive characters of Meiogyne arunachalensis N.V.Page, sp. nov.
A, Flower at early anthesis; B, flower at late anthesis;
C, pedicel, bracts and sepals; D, stamens and carpels surrounded by corrugated patch on the adaxial surface of inner petals;
E, fruit with ovoid or ellipsoid monocarps; F, longitudinal section of a young monocarp, showing uniseriate arrangement of seeds.
Photographs: Navendu Page.

Meiogyne arunachalensis N.V.Page, sp. nov.

Meiogyne arunachalensis is morphologically similar to M. maxiflora D.M.Johnson & Chalermglin in size, shape and texture of leaves; position of the inflorescence; and shape and texture of monocarps. Meiogyne arunachalensis is a larger tree, reaching up to 30 m in height with girth exceeding 200 cm (vs height up to 20 m and girth up to 125 cm in M. maxiflora), size of the flowers – outer petals up to 6 cm long (vs outer petals up to 3.5 cm long), corrugated patch 1/3 of the inner petal (vs 1/8 of the inner petal), number of carpels 15–18 (vs 4–6), number of seeds 5 in one row (vs 11 in two rows).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the state of Arunachal Pradesh, where the species is described from and hitherto geographically restricted to.


N.V. Page. 2023. A New Species of Meiogyne (Annonaceae) from the Eastern Himalayas of Northeast India. Edinburgh Journal of Botany. 80: 1954. journals.rbge.org.uk/EJB/article/view/1954

[Herpetology • 2023] Australia’s Hidden Radiation: Phylogenomics Analysis reveals Rapid Miocene Radiation of Blindsnakes (Scolecophidia: Typhlopidae)



in Tiatragul, Brennan, Broady & Keogh, 2023.


Highlights: 
• Inferred a near-complete species-level phylogeny of Australian blind snakes from over 4900 genetic loci.
• Added seven previously unsampled Anilios species.
• Time-calibrated phylogeny reveals rapid early Miocene radiation of Anilios.
• Several paraphyletic groups require taxonomic revision.

....

Scolecophidians are believed to have originated in Gondwana 160 – 125 Ma (Vidal et al., 2010) and today comprises five extant families of superficially similar snakes including Anomalepididae (20 species in the Neotropics), Leptotyphlopidae (142 species in Africa, Arabia, and the New World), Gerrhopilidae (21 species in South Asia, the Malay Archipelago and Melanesia), Xenotyphlopidae (1 species in Madagascar) and Typhlopidae (275 species in the Neotropics, Africa, Madagascar, Southeastern Europe, Southern Asia, and Australia) (Midtgaard, 2021, Uetz et al., 2021). ....


The most taxonomically and geographically diverse family of Scolecophidia is the Typhlopidae, which comprises 19 genera. Among typhlopid genera, the Australo-Papuan genus Anilios represents the most species-rich radiation (Uetz et al., 2021) (see Fig. 1 for examples). Of the 48 currently recognised species of Anilios, 45 occur exclusively in Australia, A. erycinus is restricted to New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, and A. torresianus and A. leucoproctus are found in both Australia and southern parts of New Guinea (GBIF.Org, 2022). Although natural history accounts for Anilios blindsnakes are lacking, particularly at the species level, the Australian species are presumed to be fossorial and reported to feed primarily on pupae and larvae of ants and termites (Shine and Webb, 1990, Webb and Shine, 1993, Webb and Shine, 1992). In Australia, species are distributed across the mainland, with particularly high biodiversity north of 20°S — in the northern monsoonal tropical part of the continent (Marin et al., 2013b) (see Fig. S1 for map of species distributions).
...


Examples of Australian blindsnakes.
Top row (left to right): Anilios affinis, A. ammodytes, and A. pilbarensis.
Middle row (left to right): A. broomi, A. kimberleyensis, and A. ganei.
Bottom row (left to right): A. grypus, A. ligatus, and A. unguirostris.
Photographs by Stephen M. Zozaya.

 
Sarin Tiatragul, Ian G. Brennan, Elizabeth S. Broady and J. Scott Keogh. 2023. Australia’s Hidden Radiation: Phylogenomics Analysis reveals Rapid Miocene Radiation of Blindsnakes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 185, 107812. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107812

[Ichthyology • 2023] Melanostomias dio • A New Species of the Dragonfish Genus Melanostomias (Stomiiformes: Stomiidae: Melanostomiinae) from the Western Tropical Atlantic


Melanostomias dio
Villarins, Fischer, Prokofiev & Mincarone, 2023


Abstract
A new species of the scaleless black dragonfish genus Melanostomias is described based on a single specimen (180 mm SL) collected off the northern Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (Brazil), western Tropical Atlantic. It differs from its congeners in having a unique barbel morphology, which ends in a bulb with two opposite slender terminal appendages. In addition, the occurrences of Melanostomias melanops and M. valdiviae are confirmed in Brazilian waters based on examination of new material. An overview analysis of the distribution and meristic variation of the species within the genus is also provided.

Melanostomias dio, holotype, NPM 4606, 180 mm SL,
off northern Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil.
Scale bar = 10 mm.

Melanostomias dio, new species 
Horns-up Dragonfish 

Etymology.—The specific name honors the late Ronald James Padavona, professionally known as Ronnie James Dio, one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal vocalists of all time. Among his many contributions to the metal culture, Dio popularized the hand gesture commonly referred to as horns up, which resembles the shape of the terminal bulb on the chin barbel of the new species.


 
Bárbara Teixeira Villarins, Luciano Gomes Fischer, Artem Mikhailovich Prokofiev and Michael Maia Mincarone. 2023. A New Species of the Dragonfish Genus Melanostomias (Stomiidae: Melanostomiinae) from the Western Tropical Atlantic. Ichthyology & Herpetology. 111(2); 254-263.  DOI: 10.1643/i2022082

[Ichthyology • 2023] Rhadinoloricaria papillosa • A New Species of Mailed Catfish of Genus Rhadinoloricaria (Siluriformes: Loricariidae: Loricariinae) from Rio Negro Basin, Brazil


Rhadinoloricaria papillosa
 Crispim-Rodrigues, Bernt, Waltz, Silva, Benine, Oliveira, Covain & Roxo, 2023

  DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15402  

Abstract
During a recent collection expedition to the Rio Negro, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, eight individuals of an unknown species were collected, with a combination of characteristics that placed the species in the genus Rhadinoloricaria. Furthermore, the presence of two autapomorphic characteristics, including numerous elongated papillae on the lower lip and unbranched barbelets on the margin of lower lip, suggests that it is a new species. From morphological and phylogenetic analyses, including the sequencing of specific genes to calculate the maximum likelihood analyses, coupled with osteological computed tomography (CT) scan analyses, the authors corroborated that the specimens represent a new species of Rhadinoloricaria, described in the present study.

Keywords: Cascudos, freshwater, fishes, Pseudohemiodon group, South America




Rhadinoloricaria papillosa


Jefferson L. Crispim-Rodrigues, Maxwell J. Bernt, Brandon T. Waltz, Gabriel S. C. Silva, Ricardo C. Benine, Claudio Oliveira, Raphaël Covain and Fábio F. Roxo. 2023. A New Species of Mailed Catfish of Genus Rhadinoloricaria (Siluriformes: Loricariidae: Loricariinae) from Rio Negro Basin, Brazil. Journal of Fish Biology. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15402

 

Thursday, May 25, 2023

[Herpetology • 2023] Phrynopus sancristobali • A New Species of Andean Frog of the Genus Phrynopus (Anura: Strabomantidae) from southeastern Peru


Phrynopus sancristobali 
 Díaz, Mamani & Catenazzi, 2023

 
Abstract
The Cordillera de los Andes is one of the most important regions for biodiversity. Among amphibians, many endemic species of terrestrial-breeding frogs have recently been discovered. Herein we describe Phrynopus sancristobali from the Andes of southeastern Peru based on molecular and morphological data. The new species is known from the ecotone between humid puna and montane forest at 3910 m a.s.l. on the left side of the Apurímac Valley in the Department of Ayacucho. The new species differs from congeners by having dorsum bearing pustules and light brown with dark brown reticulations surrounding the areolas, and coloration consisting of flanks golden brown with gray or dark brown marks, palms pale orange, soles deep orange, toes IV and V dark brown in dorsal and ventral view, belly cream to yellow with gray to light brown marks, and groin and throat deep orange. The snout-vent length (SVL) is 20.7 and 22.2 in two females, and 19.5 mm in one male. According to our phylogeny inferred using Maximum Likelihood with a concatenated dataset of three mitochondrial and two nuclear genes, P. sancristobali is sister taxon of P. apumantarum, recently described from Department Huancavelica. Our description extends the known geographic range of Phrynopus 73 km to the south, and P. sancristobali is the only species in the genus known to occur south of the Mantaro River, whose deep valley is hypothesized to be a biogeographic barrier for high-Andean organisms. The discovery of P. sancristobali confirms the high levels of endemism and beta diversity of Phrynopus in the moist puna grasslands and montane forests of the high Andes of Peru, and suggests that further work will reveal the presence of additional species in southern Peru.

Keywords: Amphibia, Andes, Apurímac River, Ayacucho, humid puna, VRAEM


Phrynopus sancristobali



Vladimir Díaz, Luis Mamani and Alessandro Catenazzi. 2023. A New Species of Andean Frog of the Genus Phrynopus (Anura: Strabomantidae) from southeastern Peru. Zootaxa. 5293(2); 333-348. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5293.2.7 

[Herpetology • 2021] Subdoluseps vietnamensis • A New Skink of the Genus Subdoluseps (Squamata: Scincidae) from southern Vietnam


Subdoluseps vietnamensis
 Le, Nguyen, Phan, Rujirawan, Aowphol, Vo, Murphy & Nguyen, 2021

 
Abstract
We describe a new species of the genus Subdoluseps Freitas, Datta-Roy, Karanth, Grismer & Siler from a coastal area in southern Vietnam. Subdoluseps vietnamensis sp. nov. is characterized by the following morphological characters: medium size in adults (snout-vent length up to 48.7 mm); tail length/snout-vent length ratio 1.04; toes not reaching finger when limbs adpressed; 27–30 midbody scale rows, smooth; 55–57 paravertebral scales; 55–62 ventral scale rows; 64–74 subcaudal scales; frontoparietal scale single; four supraoculars; prefrontals not in contact with one another; two loreal scales; seven supralabials; ear-opening with two lobules on the anterior border; smooth lamellae beneath finger III 9 or 10 and toe IV 12–15; six enlarged precloacal scales; and four distinct black stripes on dorsum. The new species differs genetically from its closest congeners, S. bowringii (Günther) and S. frontoparietale (Taylor), by uncorrected p-distances of 10.0% and 9.5%, respectively in ND1 sequences, and clusters into the same matriline with these two congeners on the phylogenetic trees.

Keywords: Reptilia, Coastal area, LygosomaSubdoluseps bowringiiSubdeloseps frontoparietale




 Manh Van Le, Vu Dang Hoang Nguyen, Hoa Thi Phan, Attapol Rujirawan, Anchalee Aowphol, Thi-Dieu-Hien Vo, Robert W. Murphy and Sang Ngoc Nguyen. 2021. A New Skink of the Genus Subdoluseps Freitas, Datta-Roy, Karanth, Grismer & Siler, 2019 (Squamata: Scincidae) from southern Vietnam. Zootaxa. 495(2); DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4952.2.3
theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2023/may/23/species-discovered-greater-mekong-region-in-pictures
 Researchgate.net/publication/350770198_A_new_skink_of_the_genus_Subdoluseps_from_southern_Vietnam

[Herpetology • 2023] Dixonius gialaiensis & D. muangfuangensis • Two New Species of Dixonius (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Vietnam and Laos with A Discussion of the Taxonomy of Dixonius


 Dixonius gialaiensis
from Gia Lai Province, Central Highlands, Vietnam
Dixonius muangfuangensis
from Muangfuang District, Vientiane Province, Central Laos

 Luu, Nguyen, Le, Grismer, Ha, Sitthivong, Hoang & Grismer, 2023

Abstract
Integrated analyses using maximum likelihood (ML), Bayesian inference (BI), principal component analysis (PCA), discriminate analysis of principal components (DAPC), multiple factor analysis (MFA), and analysis of variance (ANOVA) recovered two new diagnosable species of gekkonid lizards in the genus Dixonius, one from the Central Highlands, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam and another from the Vientiane Province, Laos. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2) and adjacent tRNAs showed that Dixonius gialaiensis sp. nov. is the sister species of D. minhlei from Dong Nai Province, Vietnam and is nested within a clade that also includes the sister species D. siamensis and D. somchanhae. Dixonius muangfuangensis sp. nov. is the sister species to D. lao from Khammouane Province, Laos and is embedded in a clade with D. vietnamensis, D. taoi, and undescribed species from Thailand. Multivariate (PCA, DAPC, and MFA) and univariate (ANOVA) analyses using combinations of 15 meristic (scale counts), six morphometric (measurements), and five categorical (color pattern and morphology) characters from 44 specimens encompassing all eight species of Dixonius from Vietnam and Laos clearly illustrate Dixonius gialaiensis sp. nov. and Dixonius muangfuangensis sp. nov. are statistically different and discretely diagnosable from all closely related species of Dixonius. These integrative analyses also highlight additional taxonomic issues that remain unresolved within Dixonius and the need for additional studies. The discovery of these new species further emphasizes the underappreciated herpetological diversity of the genus Dixonius and illustrates the continued need for field work in these regions.

Keywords: Gekkota, Indochina, integrative taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, morphology, new species, Southeast Asia


Dorsal views of Dixonius gialaiensis sp. nov.
A adult male holotype VNUF R.2020.22 (Field no. GL02) B adult female paratype VNUF R.2020.33 (Field No. GL03) C juvenile male paratype VNUF R.2020.44 (Field No. GL04) in Chu Se Mountain Pass, Hbong Commune, Chu Se District, Gia Lai Province.

 Dixonius gialaiensis sp. nov.
  Gialai leaf-toed gecko

Diagnosis: Dixonius gialaiensis sp. nov. can be separated from all other species of Dixonius by possessing the unique combination of having a maximum SVL of 47.4 mm; 19 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody; 19–21 longitudinal rows of ventrals across the abdomen; 7 or 8 supralabials, sixth in at midorbital position; 6 or 7 infralabials; 7 interorbital scales; 7 or 8 precloacal pores in males, femoral pores lacking; precloacal and femoral pores absent in female; 13–15 lamellae on fourth toe; dorsum olive grey color with more round brown blotches; canthal stripe continues behind orbit to back of head; lips with dark bars; two regularly disposed whitish tubercles along the sides near the flanks to tail tip. These characters are scored across all Dixonius species from Vietnam and Laos in Tables 6, 7.

Distribution: Dixonius gialaiensis sp. nov. currently is only known from the type locality of Chu Se Mountain Pass, H’Bong Commune, Chu Se District, Gia Lai Province, Central Highlands, Vietnam (Fig. 1).

Etymology: The new species is named after the type locality of Gia Lai Province, Central Highlands, Vietnam.

 
View of Dixonius muangfuangensis sp. nov.
A adult male holotype VNUF R.2020.42 (Field no. MF.02) B adult female paratype VNUF R.2020.52 (Field no. MF. 03) C juvenile male paratype NUOL R.2022.01 (Field no. MF. 01) in Nadan Village, Muangfuang District, Vientiane Province, Central Laos.

 Dixonius muangfuangensis sp. nov.
 Muangfuang leaf-toed gecko
  
Diagnosis: Dixonius muangfuangensis sp. nov. can be separated from all other species of Dixonius by possessing the unique combination of having a maximum SVL of 56.7 mm; 21–23 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody; 20 or 21 longitudinal rows of ventrals across the abdomen; 7 or 8 supralabials, sixth in at midorbital position; 6 or 7 infralabials; 7 interorbital scales; 7 or 8 precloacal pores in males, femoral pores lacking; precloacal and femoral pores absent in female; 15 lamellae on fourth toe; dorsum olive grey color with numerous small and irregular black blotches; head with brown spots; light spots irregularly arranged from the back of the head to base of tail; lips with dark bars; two regularly disposed whitish tubercles on each side on each side. These characters are scored across all Dixonius species from Vietnam and Laos in Tables 6, 7.

Distribution: Dixonius muangfuangensis sp. nov. currently is only known from the type locality of Nadan Village, Muangfuang District, Vientiane Province, Central Laos (Fig. 1).

Etymology: The specific epithet of the new species refers to the type locality of the new species in Muangfuang District, Vientiane Province, Central Laos.

 

Vinh Quang Luu, Thuong Huyen Nguyen, Minh Duc Le, Jesse L. Grismer, Hong Bich Ha, Saly Sitthivong, Tuoi Thi Hoang and L. Lee Grismer. 2023. Two New Species of Dixonius from Vietnam and Laos with A Discussion of the Taxonomy of Dixonius (Squamata, Gekkonidae). ZooKeys. 1163: 143-176. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1163.101230

[Botany • 2023] Thismia pseudomelanomitra (Thismiaceae) • A New mycoheterotrophic Species of Thismia subg. Ophiomeris from Brazilian Amazon Forest


Thismia pseudomelanomitra

in Silva, Ribeiro et Braga, 2023.  
 
Abstract
A new species of Thismia is described and illustrated for the Brazilian Amazon Forest. Thismia pseudomelanomitra belongs to Thismia subg. Ophiomeris sect. Pyramidalis and is morphologically similar to T. melanomitra. However, it can be recognized by its orbicular outer tepals with revolute margins, inner tepals connate over the tube opening forming a subglobose mitre, outer surface bearing prominent irregularly dentate ribs and irregularly foveae on top. The new species is known from a single locality, collected at São Nicolau Farm, in the northwest of Mato Grosso State. Herein, we provide a detailed description with illustrations, photographic plates, distribution maps, and preliminary conservation status.

Keywords: Dioscoreales, Flora of Brazil, neotropics, taxonomy, Monocots

Thismia pseudomelanomitra. A. Flowering habit. B–C. Leaves. D. Top view of the flower, showing the arrangement of the tepals and foveate mitre. E. Longitudinal section of floral tube with outer and inner tepals, stamens, stigma, placentation and inner surface with striated laminar projections. F. Outer tepals. G. Flower in side view, showing the details of the inner tepals. H. Detail of the stamens, stigma, placentation and inner surface of the floral tube. I. Detail of the inner surface of mitre, colliculate. J. Detail of the inner surface of floral tube with striated laminar projections.
Drawing by Marcus Falcão

Thismia pseudomelanomitra 

Thismia pseudomelanomitra. A. Panoramic view of the area habited by T. pseudomelanomitra. B–F and H. Flowering habit (in situ). G and I. Detail of the mitre, showing the variation in the number of foveae.
Photographs by Diego Ferreira da Silva.

Thismia pseudomelanomitra. A. Flowering habit. B. Leaves. C. Outer tepals. D. Mitre upper view. E. Detail of the outer surface of floral tube, showing the longitudinally arranged irregularly sized verrucae. F. Longitudinal section of floral tube with outer and inner tepals, stamens, stigma, placentation, and inner surface with striated laminar projections. G. Detail of the inner surface of mitre, colliculate. H. Detail of the annulus. I. Detail of the annulus surface. J. Stamen. K. Stigma and placentation.
Photos are provenient of the material in alcohol, disregard coloration.
Photographs by Diego Ferreira da Silva.


Diego Ferreira da Silva, Ricardo Da Silva Ribeiro and João Marcelo Alvarenga Braga. 2023. Thismia pseudomelanomitra (Thismiaceae), A New mycoheterotrophic Species from Brazilian Amazon Forest. Phytotaxa. 597(2); 175-183. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.597.2.7